Allie Pape

Each week, we bring you our top picks for the best places to booze on the cheap in SF.

1. Speakeasy Heavy Metal BBQ: Speakeasy's throwing another of their famed Friday-night brewery parties, with plenty of $3 drafts to go around. This time, Good Foods Catering and Loaded Sausages will be selling BBQ-themed grub, and L.A.'s Diamond Lane will take the stage for a heavy-metal set. Get there on the early side, at 4:30, and they'll give you a free tour and show you how the beer is made. (Friday, July 22nd, 4-9 pm, at Speakeasy Ales & Lagers, 1195 Evans Ave., Bayview.)

Clark, the former prosecutor in the O.J. Simpson trial, has taken on a curious second act: mystery writer. And with blurbs from the likes of James Ellroy and snaps from Publisher's Weekly, it appears that she's the rare celebrity novelist who's actually delivered on her fame. The story centers around a Clark-like Los Angeles D.A. investigating the mysterious death of a colleague, and reviews frequently mention the book's humor as one of its strong points.

1. Scoutmob Hit at Gingerfruit: Local deals site Scoutmob is throwing a party tonight at the new Castro bar Gingerfruit, with $5 specialty cocktails like the Delicious Sour and Classic Caipirinha, happy-hour prices on all other drinks, and free snacks like potstickers, sliders, and fries. They'll also be handing out plenty of swag and goodies. (Wednesday, July 13th, 6-8 pm, at Gingerfruit, 2029 Market St., Upper Market.)

Each week, we bring you our top picks for the best places to booze on the cheap in SF.

1. Art in the Age Cocktail Competition: Art in the Age is holding a cocktail contest at 15 Romolo, designed to show off its two signature spirits, Root (which tastes like root beer) and Snap (reminiscent of gingersnaps). But what really has us rooting is that the event is open to the public, and they'll be offering $4 Root and Snap concoctions all evening, plus free hors d'oeuvres. RSVP to get on the list. (Monday, July 11th, 8 pm, at 15 Romolo, 15 Romolo Pl., North Beach.)

San Francisco plays host to visiting authors of all stripes, not to mention a bevy of homegrown literary talent. In celebration of that, we're introducing a new weekly roundup of the best literary events in the city. All events are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted. Want to submit an upcoming event for consideration? Go here.

Writers with Drinks

Saturday, July 9th, 7:30-9:30 pm, at Make-Out Room (3225 22nd St.)

This monthly event brings together a diverse group of writers (including a number of out-of-towners) to read short excerpts of their work. Featured readers for the July edition include Los Angeles-based Charles Yu, poet/novelist Jesse Ball, retro career-advice guru Lynn Peril, and novelist Anna North (more on several of these authors below). Admission is a $5-10 sliding scale, and true to the event's name, drinks are available at the bar.

So you've been thinking about throwing a backyard BBQ or public-park shindig, but the logistics of coordinating food, games, booze, and music can be overwhelming-- if you even have a car. Ready to hand over the keys to the Partymobile? The guys at SF-based Funk N Chunk have you covered.

Each week, we bring you our top picks for the best places to booze on the cheap in San Francisco.

1. Half-Price Wine at Lark Creek Restaurants: A bottle of wine with dinner is always enjoyable, but the price tags on local wine lists can often be steep. As a way to encourage more summer imbibing, all of the Lark Creek restaurants in SF (that's One Market, LarkCreekSteak, and the brand-new Cupola Pizzeria in the Westfield mall) are offering half off their entire wine list in July, with no restrictions. Go ahead, order a whole bottle. (Month of July, at One Market, 1 Market St., Embarcadero; and LarkCreekSteak and Cupola Pizzeria, Westfield San Francisco Centre, 845 Market St., 4th Floor, Union Square.)

The enjoyment of boobs and beer isn't limited to stunted man-children in Budweiser commercials. This weekend, craft-beer fans can support impoverished women who are battling cancer by attending Breastfest at Fort Mason. The 11th annual event, sponsored by Marin Brewing Co. and Moylan's, brings together over 50 breweries from the Bay Area and beyond. Sample tastes from local favorites like Russian River, Stone, Moonlight, and Drake's, or go farther afield with brews from Allagash (Maine), Big Sky (Montana), and Maui Brewing Co.

Each week, we bring you our top picks for the best places to booze on the cheap in SF.

1. Get Frenched: Pride Happier Hour: No plans tonight? Kick off your Pride weekend in style at 7x7's own pre-party extravaganza, held at the heat-wave-friendly Lookout. We'll have $5 Distillery No. 209 gin cocktails and $2.50 Bud Light for quaffing, and the soul stylings of Hard French to get you dancing. The Lookout will also be offering bites from their new lounge menu. (Wednesday, June 22nd, 6-8:30 pm, at the Lookout, 3600 16th St., Castro.)